situational judgement test - bristol.ac.uk

© Medical Schools Council 2013

Situational Judgement Test

- Practice Paper -

Instructions:

o This paper is designed to take 140 minutes.

o In Part One (Q1-47), rank in order the five responses to the situation.

Marks are available for near-misses. There can be no tied ranks, i.e.

you should not use the same rank more than once.

o In Part Two (Q48-70), choose THREE from eight possible responses,

which address the situation when done together. You must only select

three options.

o Answer what you should do as a Foundation Year One (FY1) doctor.

o You may sometimes feel you would like more information before

answering, but please answer each question based only on the

information provided.

Please note:

o There is no negative marking. You should therefore attempt all

questions.

o A glossary is provided. The glossary terms are marked with an asterisk

(*) the first time they appear in the question.

o The corresponding question paper with the answers and rationales is

available from the UKFPO website.


Glossary

Acute

Admissions

Unit

An Acute Admissions Unit (AAU), or Acute Assessment Unit

(AAU), or Medical Assessment Unit (MAU) is a short-stay

ward that may be located within the emergency department,

although a separate department. The AAU acts as a gateway

between a patient's general practitioner (GP*) and the

emergency department, and the wards of the hospital.

British National

Formulary

The British National Formulary (BNF) is a widely available

reference book that is used extensively in the UK and

contains information and advice on prescribing and

pharmacology, as well as details about many medicines

available on the NHS.

Clinical

supervisor

The professional responsible for teaching and supervising

Foundation doctors. Each Foundation doctor will have at

least one named clinical supervisor.

A clinical supervisor is responsible for: supervising day to

day clinical and professional practice; supporting the

assessment process; ensuring the appropriate range and

mix of clinical exposures; and arranging a work programme

to enable attendance at fixed educational sessions.

CT Computerised Tomography (CT) is a method of medical

imaging.

Educational

supervisor

The professional responsible for making sure Foundation

doctors receive appropriate training and experience. The

educational supervisor is involved in teaching and training,

and should assist in professional and personal development.

Each Foundation doctor will have a named educational

supervisor for each placement.

The educational supervisor is responsible for: undertaking

regular formative appraisal; providing support in the

development of the learning portfolio; ensuring

understanding and engagement in assessment; being the

first point of call for concerns/issues about training; and

ensuring appropriate training opportunities are available for

learning and gaining competences.

Exercise tolerance Refers to the maximal exercise capacity of an individual. This

can be measured by the peak workload achieved during

exercise or their ability to endure prolonged exercise.


Glossary (cont…)

General Medical

Council

Every doctor practising in the UK must be registered with

the General Medical Council (GMC). It is the principal

regulatory body and aims to protect the wellbeing of all

patients by ensuring proper standards in medical practice.

GP A General Practitioner (GP) is a primary care physician or

community based family doctor.

ICU Intensive Care Unit (ICU), or Critical Care Unit (CCU) or

Intensive Therapy Unit (ITU) is the specialist ward where

high level monitoring and treatment is provided to unstable

or critically unwell patients.

Infection Control Infection Control is the practice of clinical microbiology,

which is principally concerned with the prevention and

management of hospital-acquired infections.

Learning portfolio A learning portfolio is an electronic means of recording

learning experience and achievements. It is designed to

help foundation doctors plan and manage their time, in

order to maximise their learning. It also acts as evidence of

achievement and is underpinned by the Foundation

Programme Curriculum.

Multi-disciplinary

team

Multi-disciplinary teams (MDTs) consist of a variety of

medical specialists and allied medical staff. MDT meetings

are often arranged to discuss and plan complex aspects of

patient treatment and to formulate safe discharge plans.

MRI Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a method of medical

imaging.

Occupational

Health

The Occupational Health (OH) department in a hospital is

responsible for protecting and promoting the safety, health

and welfare of employees.

Occupational Therapy Occupational therapy/therapists aim to rehabilitate patients

and promote independent function in all aspects of daily

life.

Registrar/Specialty

trainee

Middle grade doctor below the level of consultant.


Part One

1. Your consultant Dr Jackson has asked you to prescribe a second antibiotic for

a patient who has a chest infection which has been slow to respond to initial

treatment. Later that day, you are contacted by a specialist trainee in

microbiology who informs you that the new antibiotic is not in the hospital

formulary. She tells you that the new antibiotic should not be used because of

the risk of clostridium difficile infection.

Rank in order the appropriateness of the following actions in response to this

situation (1= Most appropriate; 5= Least appropriate).

A. Prescribe what the microbiology trainee advises

B. Explain that Dr Jackson requested the antibiotic and he would be the best

person to speak to about the prescription

C. Agree to contact Dr Jackson to discuss the prescription

D. Suggest that the microbiology trainee reviews the patient herself in order to be

able to make an informed decision

E. Do not change the prescription and make a record in the notes of the

microbiology trainee's concerns

2. On the morning ward round, your registrar/specialty trainee* said that Mrs

Anderson is medically fit following her total knee replacement and could be

discharged if Occupational Therapy* feel it is appropriate. The occupational

therapist has assessed Mrs Anderson and believes it is safe for her to go

home with a care package that has been arranged. It is now 4pm and the

nurse informs you that Mrs Anderson is demanding to see a doctor as she

does not feel that she is ready to go home yet. An elective admission is

waiting in the day room for Mrs Anderson's bed.



A. Ask Mrs Anderson about her concerns

B. Ask a senior colleague to speak with Mrs Anderson

C. Ask the bed manager if he can find another bed for the elective patient

D. Explain to Mrs Anderson that the bed has already been allocated and she has

to go home

E. Ask the occupational therapist to come and speak to Mrs Anderson with you


3. You are working on a busy paediatric ward. Your shift was meant to finish at

7pm, but it is now 9pm on a Friday, and you are still trying to complete some

of your routine tasks from the day. This has happened on a number of

occasions in the last month and you feel exhausted as a result. Your workload

is also having a negative impact on your social life.

Rank in order the importance of the following considerations in the management

of this situation (1= Most important; 5= Least important).

A. The impact on your own wellbeing if you are not able to take time to rest

B. The risk to patient safety if working whilst tired

C. Your right to finish at the designated time

D. That your consultant may give you a poor reference if you are not completing

your tasks

E. That you are repeatedly disappointing your friends by not attending social

events with them

4. You are working on the Surgical ward and you are about to attend theatre to

observe your consultant undertake a complicated procedure. This will be a

good learning opportunity for you and you anticipate being in theatre for about

two hours. As you are about to leave the ward, one of the nurses tells you that

a patient needs to have her medication reviewed prior to receiving her next

dose in three hours’ time. He tells you that he believes one of the other FY1

doctors has been making prescription errors. You also notice one of the

patients on the ward beckon you over to his bed urgently. You know from

experience that the patient often just wants to have someone to talk to as he

gets lonely.

Rank the order in which the following tasks should be undertaken (1= Do first;

5= Do last).

A. Review the patient’s dose, as requested by the nurse

B. Respond to the patient’s immediate question or query

C. Attend the theatre to observe the procedure

D. Take steps to investigate the nurse’s allegations about prescription errors

further

E. Spend more time with the patient if he wants someone to talk to


5. It is 6pm and you are clerking a patient who is to undergo an elective

splenectomy the next morning. Before he left, your consultant asked you to

prescribe the antibiotics and immunisations that need to be given that evening

so that surgery can proceed tomorrow. You now cannot find the folder

containing the pre-operative protocols and there is no intranet version. Your

consultant has already gone home.



A. Seek advice from the on-call microbiologist

B. Look in the British National Formulary* and prescribe what is suggested

C. Find a protocol on the internet from a local hospital

D. Ask the nurse in charge of the ward what is normally given

E. Seek advice from the surgical registrar/specialty trainee*

6. You are looking after Mr Kucera who has previously been treated for prostate

carcinoma. Preliminary investigations are strongly suggestive of a recurrence.

As you finish taking blood from a neighbouring patient, Mr Kucera leans

across and says “tell me honestly, is my cancer back?”



A. Explain to Mr Kucera that it is likely that his cancer has come back

B. Reassure Mr Kucera that he will be fine

C. Explain to Mr Kucera that you do not have all the test results, but you will

speak to him as soon as you do

D. Inform Mr Kucera that you will chase up the results of his tests and ask one of

your senior colleagues to discuss them with him

E. Invite Mr Kucera to join you and a senior nurse in a quiet room, get a colleague

to hold your ‘bleep’, then explore his fears


7. At your morning briefing you are informed by Infection Control* that all hospital

staff must roll their sleeves up when they have any clinical interaction with

patients. During your shift you notice that your FY1 colleague always has her

sleeves down.



A. Tell Infection Control* that your colleague is not complying with their policy

B. Speak directly to your FY1 colleague about your observation

C. Raise your observation with the nurse in charge of the ward

D. Do not say anything immediately but monitor the situation over the course

of the next few days

E. Discuss the situation with your registrar/specialty trainee*

8. You recently discharged two patients from your ward with similar names, who

had undergone similar procedures. When checking the patient records, you

realise that you mixed up their discharge letters and sent each letter to the

wrong patient. This means that each patient will receive the other patient’s

treatment advice.



A. Inform the consultant of the mix up

B. Seek advice from an FY1 colleague about what you should do

C. Adjust the original letters in the patients’ records

D. Trust that subsequent health care professionals will notice the mistake

E. Contact both patients to explain that there was a mix up


9. You are working on a surgical ward and are on your way to check the

discharge of a post-operative patient, Joan, who is due to be transferred to a

rehabilitation hospital. You have been advised by the ward manager that

Joan’s bed is needed urgently for a newly arrived patient. When you arrive at

Joan’s cubicle, her daughter, Allie, tells you that her mother has been

complaining about her chest and is struggling with a cough. You review the

observation chart and listen to Joan’s chest, which do not indicate a problem.

Allie insists that her mother has a chest infection and should not be

discharged.



A. Ask the ward nurse to inform the rehabilitation hospital that Joan’s condition

needs assessing on arrival

B. Inform Allie that she should insist on a further review of Joan’s condition when

she arrives at the rehabilitation hospital

C. Advise Allie that you will delay the transfer in order to consult with a senior

member of your team

D. Advise Allie of the urgent need to discharge her mother to create space on the

ward

E. Contact the rehabilitation hospital and write a detailed management plan

outlining Joan’s symptoms and possible investigations to send with her

10. You joined a new team three months ago and you work with two

registrars/specialty trainees*, Anne and Emma, and an FY2 colleague,

Malakai. You notice that the team works well when Anne is present, but when

Anne is on leave, Emma and Malakai become very dominant and often

undermine your decisions in front of patients.



A. Seek advice from a more senior colleague on how to improve team relations

B. Discuss your concerns with all team members

C. Request to be assigned to a new team

D. Document Emma and Malakai’s behaviour towards you

E. Wait for six weeks to see if the situation improves


11. You work on the Breast Surgery unit. Because of recent advances in surgical

techniques, inpatient stay has dropped from five days to an overnight stay.

The bed numbers on your ward have reduced and you have found you have

some free time available. However, the number of learning opportunities has

also reduced as a result.



A. Take on a position of responsibility in the doctors’ common room committee

B. Ask the Foundation Programme Director if you can move to another firm

C. Ask your consultant if you can be scheduled for outpatient clinics and theatre

sessions

D. Offer to assist your FY1 colleagues on other busier wards

E. Inform the Foundation Programme Director that the job should be re-

assessed for training

12. It has come to the end of your shift, but you have agreed to stay on the ward

for another hour due to unforeseen circumstances. A patient, Mr Griffin, is

admitted to the ward. You notice that Mr Griffin does not have a drug chart or

management plan, which should have been completed upon admission.



A. Contact the admitting doctor to discuss Mr Griffin’s management plan and

drug chart

B. Ask the nurse in charge to request the management plan and drug chart from

the admitting team as soon as possible

C. Leave a note for the FY1 doctor on the next shift stating that Mr Griffin was

unfortunately admitted without a drug chart or management plan

D. Handover to the night shift FY1 doctor to chase the drug chart and

management plan

E. Inform a senior doctor (registrar/specialty trainee*) that Mr Griffin was

admitted without the correct paperwork


13. You are working on a respiratory ward. This ward is attached to a nationally

acclaimed academic department. There are posters advertising research

projects in all patient care areas. You overhear a patient telling a relative that

he is concerned that his personal information will be used in research and

made available for all to see.



A. Tell a nurse what you overheard and ask if she can reassure the patient

regarding his concerns

B. Ask the ward manager if communication can be provided to patients

explaining that patients’ involvement in research is only carried out with their

permission

C. Ask the patient why he has concerns about the confidentiality of his personal

information

D. Reassure the patient that research will not be carried out using his personal

information without seeking his permission

E. Inform the patient’s relative that his personal information will not be used

without his permission

14. It is 8am and you have just finished a busy night shift on the Acute Admissions

Unit* (AAU). Mr Dean, a patient on your ward with acute renal failure, needs

his blood tests to be re-checked in four hours’ time. You approach Gerard,

your FY1 colleague, who is starting his shift on your ward. You attempt to

hand over the information relating to Mr Dean’s case to ensure that the blood

tests are carried out. Gerard says angrily that he has a long list of other

patients to see and has just been called to an emergency situation on another

ward. He refuses to accept your handover.



A. Stay on the ward to do Mr Dean’s blood tests yourself

B. Explain to Gerard that he is now responsible for attending to patients on the

ward so should accept your handover

C. Find another appropriate colleague to whom to hand over Mr Dean’s case

D. Advise Gerard that you will leave detailed instructions regarding Mr Dean’s

case in the patient’s clinical records for him to follow up later

E. Inform a nurse of Mr Dean’s case, asking him or her to find another doctor to

conduct the patient’s blood tests


15. You are admitting a patient who does not speak fluent English for an elective

operation. He does not have a translator or a relative present. You know from

his notes that the patient speaks Urdu. It is apparent that his pain has

worsened since his clinic appointment. You ask the patient how long he has

been suffering from this pain. The patient appears to understand what you are

saying but cannot reply. He is clinically stable.



A. Ask a doctor who speaks Urdu to attempt to communicate with the patient

B. Continue trying to communicate with the patient to ask about his symptoms

C. Telephone the NHS language services to obtain a translator

D. Ask a senior doctor for advice on how to proceed

E. Telephone the patient’s next of kin to ask about the patient’s medical history

and symptoms

16. The registrar/specialty trainee* on your ward, Dr Kitson, is a good friend of

yours. She has just sent you a text saying she is running 30 minutes late for

work and asks you to cover for her. One of the patients on the ward, Mr

Bradley, informs you that Dr Kitson was supposed to be discharging him first

thing that morning and it is now 9am. He explains that it is urgent he gets to

work by 10am and it is a 45 minute journey to get there.



A. Sign Mr Bradley’s discharge paperwork yourself

B. Explain to Mr Bradley that Dr Kitson has been delayed so he may want to

contact his work and let them know the situation

C. Contact Dr Kitson and find out whether she can give verbal approval to the

discharge

D. Find another senior colleague in your team to review and discharge Mr

Bradley

E. Offer Mr Bradley the option of signing a self-discharge form


17. A patient, Mrs Mathews, has been admitted for investigation of abdominal

pain, which her husband is aware of. You are asked to take a telephone call

from him (Mr Mathews), who is asking for an update on his wife’s condition.

You have just found out from a urine test that Mrs Mathews is pregnant.



A. Tell Mr Mathews that he will need to speak to Mrs Mathews directly about her

condition

B. Tell Mr Mathews that you would like to obtain Mrs Mathews’ permission to

speak to him first

C. Tell Mr Mathews that you would like to discuss Mrs Mathews’ case with a

senior colleague before speaking with him

D. Tell Mr Mathews that you are currently investigating Mrs Mathews’ abdominal

pain

E. Inform Mr Mathews that Mrs Mathews has had a urine test with a positive

result

18. You are on the ward round with your consultant and attend to a patient who is

complaining of a severe headache and neck stiffness. Before the consultation

has finished, a nurse interrupts to inform the consultant that he is needed

urgently to see another patient. The consultant asks you to conduct a lumbar

puncture whilst he is away. You have not done or observed this procedure

before.



A. Conduct the procedure to the best of your ability

B. Find another colleague to conduct the procedure whilst you observe

C. Telephone the neurology registrar/specialty trainee* for advice on how to

conduct the procedure

D. Inform the consultant, away from the patient, that you have not conducted this

procedure before

E. Find a senior colleague to supervise you conducting the procedure


19. You are checking a drugs chart on a general ward and you notice that the

diabetes registrar/specialty trainee* has prescribed double the dose of a tablet

for a patient with diabetes. You are aware that sometimes double the dose of

this tablet is given to patients. The patient is stable and the registrar/specialty

trainee is due on the ward in a few hrs.



A. Assume the dosage is correct as you know that sometimes the dose is

doubled

B. Call the registrar/specialty trainee to check the dosage with him

C. Change the dose to the normal amount given

D. Check with the ward pharmacist whether she is aware of the double dosage

for this patient

E. Check the dosage with the registrar/specialty trainee when he comes onto the

ward

20. Albert, a 70 year old patient, was admitted mid-morning to the General

Medical ward where you are working. Albert was recently diagnosed with a

brain tumour and has come back to hospital for further tests. When he was

admitted, you advised Albert and his family that an MRI* scan would be

arranged within a few hours. The radiology department contacts you to inform

you that Albert’s scan will not be performed until tomorrow morning, as a result

of urgent cases needing attention this afternoon. You inform Albert’s family of

the delay and they react angrily towards you.



A. Inform Albert and his family that the delay is the responsibility of the radiology

department

B. Apologise for the delay, listening to the family’s concerns

C. Explain the clinical need for other scans to be conducted before Albert’s scan

D. Inform Albert’s family about the formal complaint procedure

E. Advise Albert and his family that the information that you gave them earlier

was accurate at the time


21. You and another FY1, Katrina, are working together as part of a surgical team.

The ward is very busy and you are taking a blood test from a patient. You

notice that Katrina has left the ward without telling you. A nurse tells you that

she has gone to assist a surgeon in theatre. Katrina has had her bleeps

redirected to you, which has left you with a very heavy workload.



A. Contact the operating theatre to request that Katrina returns to the ward

B. Ask Katrina, when she returns to the ward, to speak to you in future when she

needs to leave the ward

C. Tell the senior doctor on the ward that Katrina has left without informing you

D. Ask the nurse to report Katrina to the Foundation Programme Director for

leaving the ward

E. Write a list of the jobs that have arisen in Katrina’s absence so that she can

complete them when she returns to the ward

22. You are on your way to deliver some routine radiograph reports to your

consultant when a nurse approaches you and says that he is concerned about

one of your patients, Mr Benn, whose catheter is showing a very low urine

output following his surgery earlier that morning. You had already checked on

Mr Benn during your ward round two hours previously and had seen that his

urine output was adequate given his body size.



A. Reassure the nurse that you reviewed Mr Benn's urine output on the ward round

earlier that morning

B. Go straight to Mr Benn to review his clinical condition

C. Explain that you are delivering x-ray reports to your consultant and ask the

nurse to find another member of the team to review Mr Benn

D. Ask the nurse to record vital signs and tell him that you will review Mr Benn

once you have found your consultant and delivered the radiograph reports

E. Ask the nurse whether Mr Benn’s urine output has changed since the ward

round this morning


23. You are working on a medical ward. You notice that one of your FY1

colleagues on the ward, Bashar, is not completing his assigned tasks. You

often find him reading in the staff room when he should be completing his

tasks on the ward.



A. Accept that it is not your place to intervene

B. Ensure that you cover any tasks Bashar fails to complete

C. Discuss this with your educational supervisor* at the end of the placement

D. Ask Bashar why he is often in the staff room rather than on the ward

E. Inform a senior colleague of your concerns

24. You are an FY1 working on a general medical ward. As you return to the ward

from your break you overhear your FY1 colleague, Clare, speaking to one of

the healthcare assistants, Melissa, in the corridor. Clare tells Melissa angrily

that she needs to improve her skills if she is ever to be any good at her job.

Melissa looks visibly upset, apologises to Clare then walks away. You have

witnessed Clare talking in a similar way to other colleagues in the past.

Rank in order the extent to which you agree with the following statements in this

situation (1= Most agree with; 5= Least agree with).

A. Melissa needs to learn to accept feedback from other members of the team

B. It is not your responsibility to speak to Clare about her behaviour

C. Clare should not be speaking to members of staff in this manner

D. Melissa should inform a senior colleague if she has been upset by Clare

E. Clare needs to be held accountable for her behaviour


25. One of the FY1 doctors working in your team, Haman, had a seizure whilst at

a social event that you attended a few days ago. You have known him for

some time and are aware that he is on medication for epilepsy. Today another

FY1 colleague, who also knows about Haman’s treatment, tells you that she

saw Haman driving to work this morning.



A. Advise your FY1 colleague to speak to Haman about what she observed

B. Advise your FY1 colleague to seek advice from a senior colleague

C. Ask Haman if he has been driving after he has had a seizure

D. Suggest to your colleague that she reports Haman to his consultant

E. Suggest to your colleague that it is Haman’s decision whether he feels safe to

drive

26. You are on duty at night and see a patient, Mrs Penn. Mrs Penn has

developed sudden shortness of breath and signs consistent with acute

pulmonary oedema. You have managed this condition successfully before.

However, the nurse in charge of the ward wants you to call the

registrar/specialty trainee* to come to see Mrs Penn. You are aware that the

registrar/specialty trainee is currently in the Emergency Department caring for

a sick patient.



A. Explain to the nurse that you have managed this condition before and can

care for Mrs Penn

B. Make an initial assessment of the patient, administer appropriate treatment

and then inform the registrar/specialty trainee

C. Telephone the registrar/specialty trainee in the Emergency Department,

explain the situation and your experience and follow his advice about what to

do

D. Tell the nurse that Mrs Penn is your patient and that you will take

responsibility for your decisions

E. Go to the Emergency Department to explain the situation to the

registrar/specialty trainee in person


27. Mr Farmer has been a patient on the ward for six months; he has a

tracheostomy and he breathes with the aid of a ventilator following a traumatic

brain injury. As you make your rounds, you notice Mr Farmer appears to be

experiencing breathing problems. Both the consultant and registrar/specialty

trainee* are dealing with a patient on the neighbouring ward. This is your first

week and you have not yet attended a potentially critically unwell patient by

yourself.



A. Call the crash team to attend to Mr Farmer as a matter of urgency

B. Seek advice from the physiotherapy team who are on the ward and have

experience in managing Mr Farmer’s case

C. Contact the registrar/specialty trainee to discuss Mr Farmer’s symptoms

D. Ask the ward nurse to fully assess Mr Farmer’s status with you immediately

E. Ask the consultant to return to your ward straight away to attend to Mr Farmer

28. You are working on an elderly care ward. During the ward round, your

consultant asks you to request a CT* scan for Mrs Roberts. You overhear the

registrar/specialty trainee* saying to another colleague that there is no

indication that a CT scan is needed for Mrs Roberts and that it is inappropriate

to request one. The consultant does not hear the registrar/specialty trainee’s

comments.



A. Request the CT scan, as asked by your consultant

B. Discuss the case and difference of opinion with the consultant radiologist

C. Discuss with your consultant the reasons for the CT scan

D. Tell your consultant that the registrar/specialty trainee has said that the CT

scan is not needed and that the request is inappropriate

E. Suggest to your registrar/specialty trainee that if he thinks the scan is not

needed he should raise this with the consultant


29. During a consultant ward round, you see a patient who needs to undergo a

minor operation. The consultant asks the registrar/specialty trainee* to obtain

consent, which he does. Later the nurse tells you that she is concerned

because the patient does not seem to understand fully what is happening to

him, although he is aware he is going to theatre.



A. Check the patient’s understanding of the operation

B. Advise the patient to withdraw his consent until he has further details of the

operation

C. Ask the nurse to contact the registrar/specialty trainee to speak to the patient

D. Inform your consultant that there may be concerns over the patient’s consent

E. Inform the registrar/specialty trainee that the patient would like further

clarification of the operation

30. A locum senior doctor has asked you to prescribe a drug for a patient, Mr

Singh. You have seen on Mr Singh’s charts that he is allergic to a similar drug

and you are concerned that a reaction may occur if you prescribe the

suggested drug. The locum doctor does not know the patients on the ward

well and recently reacted angrily when another FY1 on the ward questioned

one of his decisions.



A. Speak with the on-call pharmacist about whether you should prescribe the

drug to Mr Singh

B. Explain to the locum doctor that you are concerned about prescribing the drug

to Mr Singh

C. Ask another senior doctor whether it is appropriate to prescribe the drug to Mr

Singh

D. Prescribe the drug to Mr Singh, as requested by the locum doctor

E. Speak about your concerns with the nurse who would administer the drug to

Mr Singh


31. It is 8am and you are beginning a New Year’s Day shift. A fellow FY1

colleague has called in sick for the same shift; stating that she has food

poisoning. The following day you learn that your absent colleague had posted

pictures on a social networking site from a New Year’s Eve party that she had

attended the night before her shift.



A. Make other colleagues on the rota aware of the photos from the party

B. Suggest to your FY1 colleague that she remove the photos from the social

networking site

C. Seek advice from another FY1 colleague

D. Ask your colleague for an explanation of why she called in sick the day after a

party

E. Alert a senior colleague to the photos on the social networking site

32. You are working on a care of the elderly ward. Mrs Sobic is dying and her

family have requested a side room to provide her with some privacy. Another

patient, Mr Green is currently in a side room but is well enough to come out.

All other side rooms are occupied with patients that cannot be moved. A nurse

has asked Mr Green to move out of the side room but he has refused as he

says he feels uncomfortable being in the ward. Mr Green’s daughter is a

medico-legal solicitor.



A. Mrs Sobic and her family have a right to privacy

B. That another side room is unlikely to become available in the near future

C. That Mr Green’s daughter is a medico-legal solicitor

D. That Mr Green had the room first

E. Mr Green’s reasons for wanting to stay in the side room


33. You work on a busy ward with an FY1 colleague. There are many tasks to be

completed and the registrar/specialty trainee* has said that you and your

colleague can go home once the tasks are complete. You have nearly

completed your tasks when you are called to another ward on the other side of

the hospital. Your FY1 colleague suggests that you call your ward when you

are finished, because there will be no need to return to the ward if all the tasks

are complete. When you are finished, you telephone your ward but get no

answer.



A. Continue to telephone your ward until someone answers

B. Ask a nurse to contact your ward to say that you have gone home

C. Leave a message on the ward answering machine for someone to call you

back

D. Return to your ward

E. Leave the hospital and go home

34. Your consultant has to attend to a patient on another ward. In her absence

she asks you to liaise with the radiology department to arrange an urgent CT*

scan for Mrs Lewis. You provide a written request to book the test but are

contacted by the radiologist a few hours later. He informs you that he has

rejected your request on the basis of insufficient information.



A. Take the CT scan request form to another radiologist

B. Ask the radiologist to explain in more detail what was missing from the

request

C. Ask your registrar/specialty trainee* to discuss the request with the radiologist

D. Call your consultant to inform her that the radiologist has rejected the request

E. Ask your consultant to return to your ward so you can explain the situation


35. Mr Reese has end-stage respiratory failure and needs continuous oxygen

therapy. While you are taking an arterial blood gas sample, he confides in you

that he knows he is dying and he really wants to die at home. He has not told

anyone else about this as he thinks it will upset his family, and the nursing

staff who are looking after him so well.



A. Tell Mr Reese that whilst he is on oxygen therapy he will need to stay in

hospital

B. Reassure Mr Reese that the team will take account of his wishes

C. Discuss his case with the multi-disciplinary team* (MDT)

D. Discuss with Mr Reese's family his wish to die at home

E. Discuss Mr Reese's home circumstances with his GP*

36. You and another FY1, Robert, are working together on a hospital ward and

are sharing work tasks. After a couple of weeks, it becomes clear that Robert

has been taking most of the quicker and easier tasks, and has been leaving

you with longer and more difficult tasks. This has allowed Robert to spend

additional time collecting data for an audit that his educational supervisor* has

asked him to do.



A. Speak with Robert about your concerns regarding the distribution of work

tasks

B. Discuss the distribution of work tasks with your educational supervisor

C. Report the unfair distribution of work tasks to Robert’s educational supervisor

D. Complain to the ward consultant about the allocation of tasks

E. Discuss the situation with another FY1 colleague


37. At the end of your shift you ordered a blood test and CT* scan for one of your

patients, Mrs Tao, who was complaining of feeling faint and confused following

surgery. The investigation results need to be reviewed tonight, otherwise Mrs

Tao’s treatment may be delayed. You have just arrived home and realise you

forgot to hand over the need to review the investigation results to the FY1

doctor taking over your shift. You have been unable to contact the FY1 taking

over directly.



A. Telephone the ward nursing staff and ask them to get the FY1 taking over

your shift to look up the investigation results

B. Contact the on-call registrar/specialty trainee* and explain the situation

C. Go back to the hospital and look up the investigation results yourself

D. Contact an FY1 colleague working on another ward to ask her to look up the

investigation results for you

E. Review the investigation results first thing in the morning when your shift

starts

38. A patient with a complex medical history dies on the ward after a prolonged

period of investigation and treatment. Although enough is known to be able to

complete a death certificate, your consultant is keen to arrange a post-mortem

to find out more. He gains the consent of the patient’s family for this. However,

shortly afterwards the family speak to you as you are passing on the ward.

They tell you they felt coerced into saying ‘yes’ to the post-mortem and are

upset about the request.



A. Refer the family’s request back to your consultant and ask him to speak to

them again

B. Ask your consultant for his reasons for requesting the post-mortem

C. Ask another senior colleague within the team to meet with the family to

discuss their concerns

D. Explore the family’s concerns with them

E. Reassure the family that post-mortems are standard practice in situations

like these


39. You are working on a busy hospital ward and are on your way to speak to a

patient on another ward about their elective surgery. Mrs Hill, who is the wife

of one of your patients, approaches you. She tells you that her husband was

meant to be discharged today but that no-one seems to be doing anything.

She is very upset as she had made plans for his discharge and she begins to

shout at you. Your consultant told you earlier today that Mr Hill will need to be

observed for a further two days before he can be discharged.



A. Ask your registrar/specialty trainee* to explain to Mrs Hill why her husband is

not being discharged today

B. Tell Mrs Hill that you will speak to her when you return to the ward

C. Take Mrs Hill into a side room with a nurse to discuss why her husband is not

being discharged today

D. Explain to both Mrs Hill and her husband why he is not being discharged

today

E. Inform Mrs Hill that you cannot speak with her until she has calmed down

40. It is 5pm and you are on-call. A nurse from another ward brings you a

prescription chart. She tells you that one of her patients has not opened her

bowels for five days and, because of this, is very uncomfortable and disturbing

other patients. She asks you to sign a laxative prescription as the FY1 doctor

on her ward has just refused to do so.



A. Agree to prescribe a laxative

B. Attend to the patient and make an assessment

C. Explain to the nurse that if another doctor has told her that a laxative is not

required, then that must be the correct decision

D. Speak to the other FY1 doctor about why he refused to prescribe a laxative

E. Consult with your registrar/specialty trainee* about whether you should

prescribe a laxative


41. You work on a ward with a nurse, Suzanne, who is also your friend. Suzanne’s

mother, Belinda, is a hospital outpatient, whom you have examined previously.

Following a discussion with the consultant, you are aware that the results of

Belinda’s recent CT* scan suggest pancreatic cancer. The consultant told you

that he has asked Belinda to meet with him later on today to discuss the

results and has said that her family may attend. Suzanne approaches you

later on in the corridor and asks if the meeting has been scheduled because

the results suggest bad news.



A. Explore with Suzanne any anxiety she may have about her mother’s results

B. Confirm the results, advising Suzanne not to tell her mother before the

meeting

C. Tell Suzanne politely, but clearly, that you cannot tell her the results because

of patient confidentiality

D. Advise Suzanne to wait until the meeting as a senior colleague will be better

able to explain the results

E. Ask Suzanne whether she has her mother’s permission to discuss the results

before responding

42. A pharmacist approaches you on the ward and queries the dose prescribed to

a patient. The dose is twice the normal dosage for that particular drug. You

know that the drug was prescribed by the consultant, but do not know the

reason why. The pharmacist explains that he has seen the dose prescribed at

that level for particular cases previously, but wanted to double check as it is

quite unusual. The consultant is currently not on the ward.



A. Telephone the consultant to find out the reason why the dose is higher than

normal

B. Explain to the pharmacist that you do not know why the dose is higher and

politely request that he checks with the consultant if he is concerned

C. Change the dosage to the normal amount given until you are able to discuss it

with your consultant

D. Ask the patient if he knows why he is on a higher dose of the drug than

normal

E. Explain to the pharmacist that you would like to keep the dosage as

prescribed by the consultant


43. You are working on the ward with a nurse, Penny, when you observe that she

is not completing hygiene procedures correctly. You have seen Penny check

dressings without putting on gloves and neglecting to use hand disinfectant

before entering the ward. Penny is a senior nurse with many years of

experience.



A. The risk to patient safety if correct hygiene procedures are not followed

B. Patients’ potential anxiety if they notice that she is neglecting to use gloves

and hand disinfectant

C. Penny’s experience working on the ward in comparison to you

D. That it is the responsibility of the Infection Control* team to monitor and

enforce hygiene procedures

E. The potential for other nurses to follow her example

44. You are on-call over a weekend and responsible for a number of wards. You

are due to finish in 15 minutes time. You are contacted by a nurse from one of

these wards, James, who asks you to speak to the relatives of Elizabeth, a

patient who has recently been diagnosed with cancer. James tells you that

Elizabeth has been informed of the diagnosis, but that the relatives now want

to talk to a doctor to discuss the diagnosis and management plan without

Elizabeth being present. You do not know Elizabeth, and the treating team is

not working this weekend.



A. The risk of miscommunication with the family as you are unfamiliar with the

patient, her diagnosis and management plan

B. The potential conflict with James that will be caused if you do not comply with

his request

C. The distress that could be caused to the relatives if they do not have the

opportunity to discuss their concerns

D. The patient’s right to confidentiality

E. That this conversation is likely to be time-consuming and therefore may mean

that you will leave late


45. You are just finishing a busy shift on the Acute Admissions Unit* (AAU). Your

FY1 colleague who is due to replace you for the evening shift leaves a

message with the nurse in charge that she will be 15 to 30 minutes late. There

is only a 30 minute overlap between your timetables to handover to your

colleague. You need to leave on time as you have a social engagement to

attend with your partner.



A. Make a list of the patients under your care on the AAU, detailing their

outstanding issues, leaving this on the notice board in the doctors’ office when

your shift ends and then leave at the end of your shift

B. Quickly go around each of the patients on the AAU, leaving an entry in the

notes highlighting the major outstanding issues relating to each patient and

then leave at the end of your shift

C. Make a list of patients and outstanding investigations to give to your colleague

as soon as she arrives

D. Ask your registrar/specialty trainee* if you can leave a list of your patients and

their outstanding issues with him to give to your colleague when she arrives

and then leave at the end of your shift

E. Leave a message for your partner explaining that you will be 30 minutes late

46. On a ward round, the registrar/specialty trainee* tells you to write a drug

prescription for a patient. Before prescribing the drug you realise that this

medicine is contra-indicated with the patient’s other treatments. The

registrar/specialty trainee has now left the ward.



A. Write up the drug as requested but omit the start date for the drug until you

are able to speak to the registrar/specialty trainee

B. Ask another senior colleague for advice on whether a different drug should

be prescribed

C. Decline to prescribe the drug but write in the patient notes that the drug is

contra-indicated in this patient

D. Discuss with the ward pharmacist the most appropriate drug to prescribe

instead

E. Try to contact the registrar/specialty trainee to inform him of the patient’s

other treatments


47. You have been working on the surgical team for four weeks. One of the

nurses, Jill, has undermined your decisions several times, and has twice

called you incompetent in front of patients and staff. You have mainly ignored

Jill’s comments, though you did try to speak to her once about concerns

without success. More recently an FY1 colleague told you that you should not

allow her to speak to you like that. You have not had feedback from any other

team members to indicate that there are any problems with your performance.



A. Continue to ignore Jill’s comments

B. Inform the nurse in charge about Jill’s comments

C. Find Jill when she is on a break and ask what her concerns are with you

D. Inform your consultant about Jill’s comments

E. Ask other FY1s if they have had similar problems with Jill


Part Two

48. You are an FY1 doctor working in the Emergency Department. A 48 year old

patient presents with an ankle injury. He is intoxicated, loud and demands

immediate medical treatment. There are four patients waiting ahead of him.

He is upsetting the other patients and at one point, threatens another patient

with physical violence.

Choose the THREE most appropriate actions to take in this situation.

A. Ask one of the nurses to try and calm the patient down

B. Call security for assistance

C. Tell the patient that his behaviour is inappropriate and will not be tolerated

D. Arrange for the patient to be moved to a side room away from the other

patients

E. Arrange for the patient to be treated as soon as possible

F. Tell the patient he will not be treated if he continues to behave in this manner

G. Ensure the other patients are not distressed by the situation

H. Ask the other patients if they would mind if this patient was treated before

them

49. At lunch an FY1 colleague bursts into tears. She says she feels she is not

coping with the job. She thinks that her consultant is too demanding and the

nurses are annoyed because she is not keeping up with the workload.


A. Talk to her about the circumstances of her distress

B. Suggest she discusses the issues with her registrar/specialty trainee*

C. Advise her to take a few days annual leave to rest

D. Encourage her to seek some counselling

E. Offer to go with her to talk to her consultant

F. Inform her educational supervisor* that she appears to be struggling

G. Ask other members of the team to be supportive as she is having difficulties

coping

H. Offer to assist with some of her workload


50. You are on a busy colorectal team and regularly need to work late to complete

all of your tasks. Your FY1 colleague, Jenny, works on the breast team and

usually finishes all her jobs by lunchtime. You have 20 new patients this

morning and a long list of jobs, including checking blood results. You will need

to work late in order to complete all of these tasks. You notice that Jenny is

checking her personal e-mails on the ward computer. Your registrar/specialty

trainee* is busy in theatre.


A. Ask Jenny if she would mind helping you today

B. Inform your registrar/specialty trainee in theatre that you are extremely busy

and need some help

C. Stay at work until you have completed all of your tasks

D. Talk to your consultant about the unequal workload between you and Jenny

E. Raise the issue of unequal workloads at the next departmental meeting

F. Explain to Jenny that it is not appropriate to check personal e-mails at work

G. Ask a medical student to assist you by requesting x-rays and scans

H. Hand over the remaining jobs to the on-call team at the end of your shift

51. A confused patient has intra-abdominal infection and acute renal failure after a

procedure. Instructions to the nursing staff are clearly written in the notes

regarding what action to take in response to a change in the patient’s urine

output. On the morning ward round you find these instructions were not

followed by the night nursing team and the patient has deteriorated as a

consequence. You immediately ensure the patient is treated appropriately.


A. Inform the nurse in charge of the ward of the incident

B. Explain to the patient that there was an error with the management of her

condition

C. Inform a senior member of the medical team of the incident

D. Speak to the nurses involved next time you see them about your concerns

with their management of the patient

E. Find out whether the nurses were aware of the instructions regarding changes

to the patients urine output

F. Offer to write a protocol formalising team communication

G. Record your account of the nights events in the patient's notes

H. Ask the nurses to increase the frequency of observations on the patient


52. You are assisting on a ward one afternoon when you notice that a patient has two

tablets in his hands that he is about to consume. The medication was prescribed to

him earlier this morning and his case notes clearly state ‘take one tablet twice daily’.

The patient in question does not speak English.


A. Arrange for a translator to ask the patient if he knows how he is supposed to take the

medication

B. Prevent him from taking both tablets now

C. Speak to the doctor who prescribed the medication about the incident

D. Illustrate on a piece of paper how and when to take the medication

E. Seek advice on drug dosing from the pharmacist

F. Inform the nurse in charge about the incident

G. Find out if his relatives speak good English and can translate the prescription to the

patient

H. Ask the nurse who dispensed the medication to explain why he has more tablets

than prescribed

53. You are working on a surgical ward and have been asked by the consultant to do a

number of tasks: blood from four patients; chase up results from the ward patients

and also from patients in yesterday’s clinic; and to sort out infusion prescriptions for

two patients due in this morning. You are approximately half way through these tasks

and you are sure that you have a sufficient time during the morning to complete the

rest. The consultant bleeps you to ask you why the tasks have not been completed

yet. You have heard from your FY1 colleagues that this consultant has a reputation

for giving Foundation doctors lots of tasks to complete within a short period of time.


A. Explain to your consultant that it is unrealistic to expect all of the tasks to be

completed by now

B. Tell the consultant that the tasks will be completed as soon as possible

C. Explain to the consultant what tasks you have done, and how long they have taken

D. Ask your FY1 colleagues for assistance with completing the tasks

E. Inform the Foundation Programme Director that the consultant is giving junior

doctors unrealistic timeframes to complete tasks

F. Ask the consultant whether he would be able to help you complete some of the tasks

G. After the tasks have been completed, seek advice from your educational supervisor*

about how to approach situations such as these

H. Try to speed up completion of tasks by deferring some of the paperwork until later


54. You have just started your shift. You have not met one of the patients, Mrs

Gordon but you know that she is being treated for a fractured knee and is

recovering well. Her husband has noticed that she has lots of bruising around

her knee. He angrily approaches you claiming her doctor is not doing her job

properly as the bruising is getting worse.


A. Ask a senior colleague to speak to Mr Gordon

B. Ask the nurse who has been caring for Mrs Gordon to speak with him

C. Ask Mr Gordon to lower his voice as he is disrupting the other patients

D. Tell Mr Gordon the other doctor has now finished her shift so you are now

taking over responsibility for Mrs Gordon

E. Try to answer any questions Mr Gordon has

F. Reassure Mr Gordon that the bruising will be the result of the fractured knee

G. Set up an appointment for Mr Gordon to meet with the consultant

H. Re-examine Mrs Gordon’s knee

55. You have worked on a ward with another FY1 colleague, Ben, for the last

three weeks. You have noticed that Ben seems to avoid writing prescriptions

and filling in drug charts. The nurses appear to be getting frustrated with Ben

because of this. When you speak to Ben about it, he tells you that he is

dyslexic but has not told anyone as he is embarrassed.


A. Make the nursing staff aware of the situation

B. Check all the drug charts and prescriptions Ben has recently written

C. Explain to Ben the potential safety risks to patients if he continues to ignore

the issue

D. Discuss the situation with a senior colleague

E. Recommend to Ben that he raises this with his educational supervisor*

F. Offer to help Ben with his prescriptions and drug charts

G. Discuss the situation with your team and ask them to help you monitor Ben’s

drug charts and prescriptions

H. Speak to Occupational Health* (OH) about the best course of action to take


56. You have been prescribed codeine for persistent back pain which has become

worse in the last few weeks. You have noticed that during shifts you are

becoming increasingly tired, finding it difficult to concentrate and your

performance, as a result, has been less effective.


A. Ask a colleague to assist with your workload until you finish your codeine

prescription

B. Make an effort to increase the number of breaks during your next shift

C. Stop taking the codeine immediately

D. Make an appointment to see your GP*

E. Seek advice from a specialist consultant about your back pain

F. Arrange to speak with your registrar/specialty trainee* before your next shift

and make them aware of your situation

G. Seek advice from your clinical supervisor* regarding further support

H. Consider taking some annual leave

57. You become aware that one of your FY1 colleagues, Daniel, is consistently

not doing his fair share of the ward work. His night shift colleague has told you

that he leaves much of the routine work for her and provides poor handover

information. However, he is personally very likeable and always performs jobs

diligently when directly requested. You know that no-one has broached this

with him yet.


A. Discuss Daniel’s behaviour with his clinical supervisor*

B. Suggest to the nursing staff that they ask Daniel directly to complete the

routine work

C. Explain to Daniel that his behaviour means colleagues have to do extra work

and this could impact on patient safety

D. Bring up the issue of effective handovers at the next team meeting

E. Ask Daniel if he needs help with his handover

F. Discuss the situation with your consultant

G. Ask other staff on the ward if they are experiencing problems with Daniel

H. Suggest to your night shift colleague that she speaks to Daniel directly about

him not completing his tasks


58. You are working in the Emergency Department (ED). Mrs Gersbach, a 65 year

old female patient, is admitted with chest pain. This is her fifth attendance with

chest pain in the last two weeks. She has been extensively investigated over

this time, and a cardiologist has documented that all investigations have been

normal and that her pain is not cardiac in origin. Today, nothing on

examination or any of the investigations suggest that her pain is a symptom of

cardiac disease. There are no other worrying signs or symptoms.


A. Admit Mrs Gersbach to the Acute Admissions Unit* (AAU) for further

investigations

B. Write to Mrs Gersbach’s GP*, asking her to dissuade Mrs Gersbach from

attending the ED

C. Explain to Mrs Gersbach that there appears to be nothing wrong with her

D. Reassure Mrs Gersbach that her pain is definitely not a symptom of cardiac

disease

E. Ask a senior colleague to speak with Mrs Gersbach

F. Ask Mrs Gersbach if there is anything that she is worried about that might be

causing her pain

G. Arrange an outpatient exercise tolerance* for Mrs Gersbach

H. Tell Mrs Gersbach that her attendance at the hospital is not the best use of

the ED’s doctors’ and nurses’ time

59. One of your FY1 colleagues arrives late into work on a frequent basis. You

think you may have smelt alcohol on his breath previously, but were not sure.

This morning he smells strongly of alcohol and is unsteady when walking.


A. Ask your colleague if he has been drinking alcohol

B. Tell your colleague that he should go home immediately if he is unfit to work

C. Inform the consultant in charge of the ward that your colleague smells of

alcohol and is unsteady when walking

D. Seek advice from a senior colleague about how to manage the situation

E. Explore with your colleague if there are any reasons behind his behaviour

F. Warn your colleague that if this happens again, you will have to tell the

consultant

G. Tell your colleague to get a cup of coffee

H. Inform the General Medical Council* (GMC) of your concerns about your

colleague


60. You are in the canteen and are joined by an FY1 colleague, Amadi, who is not

on shift. Amadi tells you that his girlfriend was involved in a serious road

accident last week and is now in the Intensive Care Unit* (ICU). He tells you

that he is very stressed and has barely slept in the last week. He thinks that he

is going to have difficulty coping with his weekend shift. He has refused to take

compassionate leave as he does not want to leave the ward understaffed.


A. Advise Amadi to see his GP*

B. Suggest to Amadi that sleeping tablets may help

C. Advise Amadi to contact the Trust’s counselling service

D. Advise Amadi to seek time off work from his consultant

E. Discuss your concerns with Amadi’s educational supervisor*

F. Advise Amadi to discuss this with his educational supervisor

G. Offer to go somewhere more private to discuss Amadi’s concerns

H. Contact the ICU to find out about Amadi’s girlfriend’s health situation

61. You are treating Mrs Taylor for a urinary infection. You receive the antibiotic

sensitivity results. You inform your consultant that the E coli causing Mrs

Taylor’s urinary infection is sensitive to amoxicillin. As a result, this antibiotic is

then started. You realise later that day that you have misread the result and

that the E coli is actually resistant to amoxicillin and is sensitive only to

ciprofloxacin. Mrs Taylor had no adverse reaction to the antibiotic.


A. Inform your consultant of the correct result

B. Record the incident as a learning point in your learning portfolio*

C. Contact microbiology for advice

D. Tell Mrs Taylor that you have prescribed the incorrect antibiotic

E. Reassess Mrs Taylor's vital signs

F. Change the antibiotic to ciprofloxacin

G. Repeat the urine specimen culture

H. Ask your registrar/specialty trainee* for advice


62. You review a patient on the surgical ward who has had an appendicectomy

done earlier on the day. You write a prescription for strong painkillers. The

staff nurse challenges your decision and refuses to give the medication to the

patient.


A. Instruct the nurse to give the medication to the patient

B. Discuss with the nurse why she disagrees with the prescription

C. Ask a senior colleague for advice

D. Complete a clinical incident form

E. Cancel the prescription on the nurse’s advice

F. Arrange to speak to the nurse later to discuss your working relationship

G. Write in the medical notes that the nurse has declined to give the medication

H. Review the case again

63. You have been approached by an FY1 colleague, James, who has been on

shifts with another FY1 doctor, Mark, for the last two weeks. James tells you

that Mark has become increasingly careless in monitoring and documenting

patient records. On three occasions, James tells you that he has found Mark

asleep in the common room whilst on duty. You know Mark very well and have

never witnessed such behaviour when you have worked with him previously.


A. Tell James that you have never witnessed such behaviour from Mark

B. Suggest to James that he speaks to Mark directly about his concerns

C. Advise James to document his concerns

D. Inform a senior colleague about what James has told you

E. Tell James you will speak to Mark about his behaviour

F. Ask other members of the team whether they have witnessed this behaviour

in Mark

G. Advise James to speak to a senior colleague about his concerns

H. Ask James whether he has any evidence that patient safety is being

compromised


64. It is the end of your shift and on your way out of the ward you remind one of

the nurses that Mr Baker, who has been admitted to the hospital with chest

pains, needs his blood taken within the hour for cardiac markers. The nurse

tells you that the ward has now got very busy so Mr Baker will have to wait.

She is very abrupt in her response to you.


A. Ask the nurse for further details about the other urgent tasks that need to be

completed on the ward

B. Ask the FY1 taking over your shift to take Mr Baker’s blood

C. Discuss with the nurse in charge the procedure for taking essential bloods at

busy times

D. Insist that the nurse tries to find the time to take Mr Baker’s bloods

E. Take Mr Baker’s blood yourself

F. Suggest to the nurse that she considers how she speaks to other members of

the team in future

G. The next day, speak to the nurse privately about the way she spoke to you

H. Speak to the nurse in charge about the way the nurse spoke to you

65. You are working on a busy hospital ward and you have one hour left of your

shift. During that time you have to complete paperwork, which will take

approximately 45 minutes, and see three patients who may take 15 minutes

each. A healthcare assistant asks you to speak to a relative of a patient on the

ward, who has called the ward asking to speak to someone.


A. Ask a nurse on the ward to assist you with seeing the patients

B. Ask the healthcare assistant if he or she can ask a nurse who knows the

patient to speak with the relative

C. Stay late at work to ensure that you complete all of the tasks

D. Finish the most important clinical tasks and hand over any uncompleted tasks

to the next shift

E. Ask an FY1 colleague to assist you with completing your tasks

F. Inform a senior doctor that you will be unable to complete all of your tasks

during your shift

G. Agree to speak to the patient’s relative on the telephone

H. Ask the patient’s relative to call back later to speak to a doctor


66. You are reading some medical magazines in the hospital canteen, whilst on a

break. In one magazine you come across an advertisement for private

specialist services bearing the picture and name of Simon, a fellow FY1. You

are aware that providing such services is forbidden until the FY1 qualifies as a

specialist. You are aware that Simon is experiencing severe financial

difficulties.


A. Suggest to Simon that he tells his educational supervisor* about the

advertisement

B. Suggest to Simon that he stops providing this service immediately

C. Inform the Foundation Programme Director about Simon’s advertisement

D. Discuss with Simon alternative ways for him to make money

E. Ask fellow FY1s for their opinion on Simon’s actions

F. Ask Simon whether he is aware that providing specialist services is forbidden

until he qualifies as a specialist

G. Ask Simon whether anyone is aware that he is advertising these services

H. Inform Simon that it is unacceptable to place such advertisements

67. During a ward round, your consultant loses his temper and shouts at the other

FY1 doctor on your team for not having ordered blood tests for a patient. This

incident is overheard by the patient concerned, the nursing staff and the rest

of the medical team.


A. Once away from the bedside suggest to the consultant that the situation felt

uncomfortable and you were worried that the patient had been upset

B. Tell the consultant later in private that you think that his behaviour was

inappropriate

C. Advise your FY1 colleague that he should speak to the consultant about the

incident

D. Discuss with the nursing staff whether this is usual behaviour for the

consultant

E. Advise your FY1 colleague to speak to his educational supervisor*

F. Apologise to the patient after the ward round

G. Ask a more senior colleague on the team for advice

H. Ask your FY1 colleague if he needs any help with his workload


68. You are reviewing one of your patients, Mrs Hobbs, who is on your ward being

treated for an infection in her toe. During a routine examination you notice that

in Mrs Hobbs’ drug chart the FY2 has prescribed her penicillin and the

administration is due in 45 minutes time. You remember your consultant

informing you earlier that day that Mrs Hobbs was allergic to penicillin.


A. Inform the FY2 that they have made an error

B. Cross out the prescription on Mrs Hobbs’ drug chart, dating and initialling the

amendment

C. Tell the nursing staff on duty not to administer penicillin to Mrs Hobbs

D. Contact your registrar/specialty trainee* to confirm what the consultant has

said about the penicillin allergy

E. Inform your consultant about the situation

F. Ask Mrs Hobbs whether she is allergic to penicillin

G. Explain to Mrs Hobbs that an incorrect prescription has been made by the

FY2

H. Review Mrs Hobbs notes to try and clarify whether she is allergic to penicillin

69. A 45 year old alcoholic is admitted in the afternoon with delirium tremens after

stopping drinking two days previously. During the night you are called to see

him as he has become very aggressive and is demanding to be allowed

home. As you arrive on the ward he punches one of the nurses. He is

confused, shouting and threatening other patients.


A. Prescribe extra sedation for the patient

B. Ask the nursing staff to call hospital security

C. Attempt to talk to the patient to try and calm him down

D. Reassure the other patients in the ward that they are safe

E. Ask the nursing staff to help you restrain the patient

F. Ask the nursing staff to call the police

G. Inform the patient that his behaviour is inappropriate and will not be tolerated

H. Ensure that the nurse who was punched is not badly injured


70. You share the responsibility for the patients on the Cardiology ward with your

FY1 colleague, Sam. He has previously confided in you that he is finding his

FY1 role very difficult. It is the end of Sam’s shift and he informs you that he

has been unable to complete all his tasks and once again passes them on to

you to finish as you are on a late shift.


A. Speak to your fellow FY1s to see whether they think that his conduct is

acceptable

B. Suggest to Sam that he may want to discuss his difficulties with his clinical

supervisor*

C. Advise Sam to inform his consultant that his workload is excessive and

unachievable

D. Suggest to Sam that, on this occasion, you share the urgent jobs that need to

be done with another colleague

E. Delegate some of the tasks to your other FY1 colleagues

F. Discuss with Sam what he is finding difficult about his role

G. Inform Sam’s clinical supervisor about the incident

H. Set some time aside to help Sam with his prioritisation skills

situational judgement test - bristol.ac.uk

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